Automatic photographic apparatus.



G. N. PIFER.

AUTOMATIC PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30,1916- Patented June 18,- 1918.

; UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

oEonoE 1;. PIFER, 0E CLEVELAND, onro, ASSIGNOR, BY MESZN'E nssrommnrs, To

'1. E. STEWART, TRUSTEE, or CLEVELAND, OHIO.

'AUTOMATIG PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1918.

Application filed June 30, 1916. Serial No. 106,741.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE N. PrEER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Photographic Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in automatic photographing machines, especially of the form shown in my 'prior Patent, No. 1,167,314, dated January 1%, 1916, automatic photographin apparatus. More specifically considere the 1nvention relates to the ejector which ejects from the machine the finished picture, the object of the invention bein to provide an ejector which is more satis actory-and durable than the ejector disclosed in said prior patent.

In my prior patent above referred to, I have disclosed an automatic photo raphing machine, wherein the coin control ed slide mechanism causes the delivery of a sensitlzed pression is made on the plate, thelatter is' :delivered 'or' caused to pass to a suitable disk-like supportwhich is mounted upon the upper end of a Vertical spindle and is surrounded by a cup which normally bears against the lower side of the camera box.

The-plate falls upon this support face upward, or in position to receive on the sensitized and exposed side diflerent finishing solutions which are successively applied to the plate. After each solution is applied to the late, the spindle and support are spun the motor to cause the solution to be forcibly and cleanly throwntherefrom, so that the next solution which is applied will not be contaminated by that which had previ ously been applied. After certain solutions have been applied to theplatc, the cup, plate,

together with the su port and spindle carry ing thelatter are ow'ered away from the camera box, in order that" a second exposure may be made on the plate. Thereafter finishing solutions are again applied until the picture is finished, whereupon it is ejected from the machine.

In the machine forming' the subject matter of my prior patent, this ejecting means is carried in the cup, and consists of a pair of fingers formed by a suitable bent wire, which fingers are thrown upwardly so as to eject .the picture by elevating the spindle and support carrying the plate or picture. This ejector or ejecting means, while answering the requirements, is not satisfactory in all respects, especially as it has not the desired durability, in viewv of the fact that it is subjected to the corrosive action of acidulated solutions used in the finishing partof the process.

The ejector forming the subject matter of the present invention overcomes the objection of the prior construction, and at the same time is extremely efiicient and at all times reliable.

My invention may be briefly summarized as consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements'of parts which will be described in the specification and set forth in the appended claims. I In theaccompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, with parts in section, of a part of the apparatus, showing my improved ejector, and the manner in which it is operated; and Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, I have omitted the major portion of the apparatus, only that part which immediately concerns the ejector being shown, in order that unnecessary complications maybe avoided.

ing cylindrical shank 12, through which loosely extends 'a vertical spindle 13, to the upper end of which is secured a disk-like support 14', upon which a circular photo- /'In the drawing, 10 iepresents the lower graphic plate 15 is adapted to rest 'afterthe photographic impression is made in the camera, and. during all/the develo ing and finishing operations. As fully exp ained in my prior patent, as soon as the plate reaches the support 14:, certain finishing solutions are applied onto the plate from above, and after each solution is applied the plate is spun by spinning the spindle 13 to free the plate of the solution. This is done by a motor (not shown) which at the proper intervals is operatively connected or placed in driving relationship with a grooved wheel 16, which is splined to the spindle 13. Just beneath the support 14: on which the plate rests is a retainer or centralizer 17 ,having upstandin fingers which maintain the plate substantia ly centrally on the disk or support 142, while it is being spun by the motor. This retainer has a pin and slot or spline connection with the spindle 13 so that the latter will rotate or spin the retainer, as well as the plate support 14 and plate 15, but may move upwardly relative to the retainer and cup 11, as will later appear.

After one or more solutions are applied to the plate while on the support 14 while the latter is in its upper position in the lighttight' chamber formed by the camera box and by the cup 11, the cup, spindle, support 14:, and partially finished plate 15 are lowered as a unit away from the camera box so that the portion of the sensitized plate not exposed by the photographic exposure made in the camera is subjected to light for the second or reexposure. The cup is thus lowered to the dottedposition shown at 11 it being understood that in the lowered posi-' tion just referred to, the cup 11, plate 15, plate support 14:, and retainer occupy the same relative positions as shown by full lines in the upper part of the figure. While in this position, difi'erent solutions are applied to the plate, including a developer and rinsing solution, each solution being thrown from the plate by spinning the spindle in the manner previously described. Afterthe different solutions have been successively applied and thrown from the plate, the cup 11 and retainer 17 are lowered tothe point indicated by the dotted position 11*. This time, however, the cup'and retainer 17 only are moved 5. e., they are lowered with respect to the plate 15 and plate support 14., the plate then standing clear of the cup and retaining fingers, as shown by dotted lines. The picture now being finished, is thence ejected from the machine through a suitable slot in the front wall of the casing, by the ejector forming the subject matter of my invention,

' and this willnow be described.

Before describing the ejector, it might be well to state briefly the manner in which the cup and other parts are raised and lowered, with reference to the camera box. These artsare lowered by mechanism including a ll crank lever, mounted upon a shaft 18 driven by the motor previously referred to. This bell crank lever has a long arm 19, which projects forwardly and is connected frame of the machine.

. apropos The bell crank is provided also with a shorter arm 20, which is connected by a link 21 to an arm 22 pivotally mounted upon a shaft or rod 23, suitably supported in the This arm 22 is provided with a finger or projection 24 engaging the edge or periphery of a cam disk 25, which is secured to and is rotated by the motor driven shaft 18 in the direction indicated by the arrow. This cam disk has an arc-shaped peripheral portion 25 of such radius that when engaged by the finger 24,

the arm 19 is elevated and held in the position shown by full lines so as to elevate and hold the cup 11 up against the bottom of the camera box. This cam disk 25 is-provided also with an arc-shaped peripheral portion 25 of less radius than the portion 25, and as soon as the finger 24: rides from the portion 25 to the portion-25 the arm 19 is lowered, bringing the cup, etc, to the position 11. Additionally, the cam disk is pro vided between the peripheral portions 25 and 25 with a recessed portion or depression 25, into which the finger 24' drops at the end of the picture finishing operation. When the finger drops into the depression 25, the cup is lowered to the position 11", but the plate or now finished picture 15, and the support 1 1 are not lowered. At least they are not lowered anyappreciable extent, for the reason that when they were previously lowered with the cup, to position 11 the lower end of the spindle was brought down to or substantially down to a fixed stop member 26. Consequently when the cup is lowered the second time, the plate is not lowered, but stands clear of the cup and of fingers of the retainer 17.

When the cup and retainer are thus lowered to the position 11, in the manner just described, the picture is thrown or kicked laterally from the support 14:, and out through a slot in the front wall of the casing by an ejector in the form of a .leaf spring 27, which as will be observed, is outside of the cup and in no danger of being corroded or otherwise alfected by the solutions. This spring is attached. at its lower end to the arm 19, and normally, it is substantially not under tension, the spring occupying the position shown by full lines when the cup is elevated to its normal position. 7

This spring, it will be observed, is provided with an upwardly projecting main portion 27 and with an upper forwardly projecting portion 27 b which extends at nearly right angles to the part 27 and which at its free forward end is provided with an upstanding portion or lip 27. In the angle between he portions 27 and 27" .is secured a pin 27" which extends a short distance laterally of the spring, as shown in Fig. 2. I

Now, as the arm 19 is lowered, so as to lower the cup to the position 11, the end of pin 27 in passing downward, engages and slides along the back of a suitably positioned andshaped stationary member 28 carried by a bracket 29, secured to a por tion of the frame shown at 30. As the pin slides downwardly along the back of the member 28, the upper part of the spring,

' that is the portions 27 and 27 are held ber 28. As soon as the cup is lowered to from forward movement, with the result that the spring is placed under tension. When the cup reaches the position 11, the pin is near the lower part of the stop member 28, and in fact occupies such position that on slight further lowering movement of the spring, the said pin will ass down wardly beyond the lower part 0? the memthe position 11, the spring is released by the pin 27 passing downward beneath the stop member 28, whereupon the upper end of the spring ejector springs forward and the upturned lip 27 in the forward movement strikes the finished plate or picture 15, and throws the same out through the slot in-the casing, the ejector being in substantially the position. 27 when it engages and ejects the picture from the machine.

As soon as this is accomplished, the finger 24 rides out of the depression 25 onto the portion 25 of the motor driven cam disk, whereupon the arm 19, cup, and other parts are elevated to normal position and the 8]6Ct01 is restored to tlle position shown by full lines. These parts are now in osi-' tion for a repetition of the photograp ing,

finishing and ejecting operations, which have been described above. Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an automatic photographing appa ratus, a camera box-in which a photographic plate is adapted to be exposed, a finishing cup arranged adjacent the camera boxand adapted to receive -the plate after exposure, means for causing a relative movement between the cup and plate, and an ejector exterior to .the cup for moving the plate away from the cup aftersuch relative movement. I

2. In an automatic rhatographilig with ratus, a camera box in which a photographic spring is released by between the plate and receptacle.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my plate is adapted to be exposed, a finishing cup adjacent the camera box and adapted to receive the plate after exposure, means for shifting the cup and plate away from the camera box and for subsequently causing a relative movement between the cup and plate, and an e ector exterior to the; cup for moving the plate away from the receptacle after .such relative movement.

3. In an automatic photographing apparatus, a camera box in which a photographic plate is adapted to be exposed, a cup adja= cent the camera box and adapted to receive the plate after the exposure, means for causing the cup andthe plate to move away from the camera box and for causing a relative movement between the cup and plate whereby the plate is temporarily positioned above the cup, and an ejector exterior to the cup for moving the plate away from,

. rence of said relative movement. 7

5. In an automatic photographic apparatus, a receptacle adapted to;- receive a photographic plate, means for causing a relative movement between the plate and receptacle, an ejector comprising a spring for moving the plate away from the receptacle, and means whereby said spring is released so as to move the plate by said relative movement.

6. In an automatic photographing appa ratus, a receptacle for a photographic plate, means for moving the receptacle, and ffor causin relative movement between the receptac e and plate, means comprising a sprlng for moving the plate away from the receptacle, and means wherebv energv is stored in the spring by said movement of the plate and receptacle, and whereby the said relative movement signature.

GEORGE N. PIFER. 

